


New Partner

by helens78



Series: Trip Stumble Fall [7]
Category: Durham County, due South
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Jealousy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-07
Updated: 2010-12-07
Packaged: 2017-10-13 13:38:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/137976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helens78/pseuds/helens78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's someone new in the 27th precinct, and it doesn't look like he's the kind of man Fraser can scare off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Partner

The 27th precinct goes through occasional changes. Personnel shifts month by month; some people are moved up to Detective, some people retire, some people change to different departments or go undercover or quietly disappear without a word.

So when Fraser walks into the 27th and sees someone new standing at Ray Kowalski's desk, he isn't surprised. He just looks the new man over carefully from head to foot, evaluating him. Male, white, bald, mid-forties, perhaps five foot ten, medium build as far as Fraser can tell from the suit he's wearing. Black suit, shiny black leather shoes, dark blue tie, and, oddly enough, cufflinks.

New partner, Fraser guesses. Well. That's fine. Of course Ray was due to end up with a new partner; he's been without ever since Hartman left the 27th.

 _Yeah, whose fault was that?_ he can imagine Vecchio asking, but the answer--the real answer--is that it was Hartman's fault for trying to take something that didn't belong to him. Fraser's not sorry.

As Fraser walks over to Vecchio's desk, he sees the way Ray's looking at the new man, and Fraser nearly stops mid-stride. Ray is always so obvious about it when he's attracted to someone; he doesn't even try to hold his reactions back.

But Fraser's gratified to find that, when Ray notices _him_ , the _I'm-attracted-to-you_ look doesn't disappear. It might get layered over with a few other sentiments, but it doesn't go away at all.

He stops at Vecchio's desk, and Vecchio gets up. "This is gonna be a picnic," Vecchio mutters. "Okay. Let's do it."

He leads Fraser over to Ray's desk. "Hey, Mike, let me introduce my partner. This is Fraser."

Mike looks at Fraser and raises his eyebrows a fraction; with Mike facing him head-on, Fraser can evaluate the rest of his appearance. Blue eyes. Stony but solid features. Anyone not put off by age or the shaved head would probably call him attractive. Not Fraser's type, but that's hardly relevant at the moment. That serious expression is probably drawing Ray toward him like iron filings to a magnet. Fraser doesn't clench his jaw, but it's an effort.

"Fraser, meet Mike Sweeney. He's here out of Toronto, helping Kowalski with the Donald case."

Mike extends his hand to Fraser, and because it's the polite thing to do, the _courteous_ thing to do, Fraser takes it. But he's not surprised when Mike squeezes his hand with a very firm grip, and he squeezes back every bit as hard, staring Mike right in the eyes.

Vecchio slaps Fraser hard on the shoulder and squeezes, digging his fingers in, and Fraser lets go; the minute he does, so does Mike. Fraser's hand feels hot, sore; he suspects Mike's feels the same way. "So I'm gonna guess you're wondering what the hell a Mountie's doing in the 2-7," Vecchio says.

"Thought had occurred, yeah," Mike says. "There a story behind that?"

"I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father," Fraser says, automatically, "and _for reasons that do not need explaining at this juncture_ ," he continues, staring straight at Ray, watching as Ray's eyes narrow and his nostrils flare, "I have remained, attached as liaison to the Canadian Consulate."

Mike raises an eyebrow and nods. "Yeah, well. Nice work if you can get it."

"You need anything, Mike, let us know," Vecchio says.

"Think Kowalski here has me covered, but thanks."

Fraser nods, and since there's nothing left to say, he heads back for Vecchio's desk. Vecchio does the same, dropping down in his chair and leaning back. He glances over his shoulder at Ray and Mike. "Y'know, it's funny," Vecchio says. "He doesn't _seem_ Canadian."

"Well, there are many different types of Canadians, Ray," Fraser says automatically. Mike's taken a seat across from Ray's desk, and both of them are leaning forward, perusing a file of some kind. As Fraser watches, Ray picks up a pencil and starts tapping it on the desk, beating out a sharp, nervous rhythm with tip and eraser.

Mike lets him get away with it for almost ten seconds before he reaches out and grabs Ray's wrist, grip tight enough to whiten Mike's knuckles. Ray looks up at Mike in shock, and while Fraser can't see Mike's expression, he can certainly see Ray's. Ray's eyes are wide and his lips are slightly parted, and his breathing picks up as Mike holds onto his wrist. Mike says something that Fraser can't make out, and Ray nods, nods a couple of times, and slowly flattens out his hand on the desk, sitting up straighter and putting his other hand on the desk, too. Mike sits up and leans back in his chair, and Ray closes his mouth and swallows.

"Hey. _Hey._ " Vecchio waves a hand in front of Fraser's face. "Don't do this now. We got work to do."

"I'm not doing anything," Fraser says automatically. He straightens his shoulders and looks at Vecchio, ignoring the way he can see Mike and Ray in the background, ignoring it and staying put when Ray launches himself up from his desk and Mike follows. They walk out of the squad room, and Fraser keeps his eyes on Vecchio the entire time. "I'm not doing anything at all."

 _-end-_


End file.
